Turkey's progression to their first World Cup finals in nearly a quarter-of-a-century spells ominous news for Australia as they're tasked with countering the gifted young midfield superstar who's treated with Maradona-like adulation in Turkey.
Bookmakers in Europe have quickly made up their minds that the Socceroos are now the real underdogs in a cut-throat group D after Turkey's qualification, spearheaded by Real Madrid's Arda Guler and Juventus's Kenan Yildiz on Tuesday night, ensured all four teams in the pool are in the world's top-40.
Turkey's defeat of Kosovo in Pristina to land a place in the big show for the first time in 24 years since they surprised everyone by finishing third in 2022 was the news Socceroos boss Tony Popovic really didn't need, already faced with hosts USA and the mean defence of Paraguay.
And at the heart of his problems will be having to subdue the outstanding young talents currently strutting their stuff at two of Europe's great clubs -- Guler, the 21-year-old baby-faced playmaker who's wowing them at Real Madrid, and Kenan Yildiz, the gifted 20-year-old Juventus striker.
Italy may have missed out on qualifying for the third-straight time on Tuesday, but there was at least one former Azzurri star smiling as Vincenzo Montella coached Turkey towards a date with the Socceroos in their World Cup opener in Vancouver.
Montella is a pragmatist whose side have looked more solid than sparkling en route to qualification, but he knows he has two young diamonds, who were not even born when Turkey won the third-place play-off against co-hosts South Korea in 2002.
Guler's special, seen by Madrid fans as a kind of young cross between their old favourites Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, who only last month scored a goal from deep inside his own half that left Spanish football in thrall and only heightened all the fuss about his gifts back home.Â
"Arda Guler? He has an innocent face, but he's very clever, with talent, intuition, intelligent reading of the game. He knows when to slow down, when to go straight, and he knows how to score," Montella told Sky Italia. "And he can handle a lot of pressure.
"He is revered in Turkey - we're talking levels similar to Maradona in Napoli. He grew up in a completely normal family in Turkey, then arrived at the most decorated club in the world, and now carries pressure, but he manages it calmly."
Yildiz, Turkey's best player against Kosovo who laid on the winner for Kerem Akturkoglu, is the poster boy at Juve, having scored 10 Serie A goals this season and with Montella suggesting he has similar qualities to former Italian great Alessandro Del Piero.
